It was Friday in Iceland declared the state of emergency after a series of very strong earthquakes that occurred on the Reykjanes peninsula, in the south-western area of the country. The increase in the frequency and power of earthquakes is a sign of a possible volcanic eruption: the alert led the authorities to order the evacuation of Grindavík, a town of around three thousand people very close to the epicenter of the earthquakes.
Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are very common in Iceland, because the island is located along the junction between two tectonic plates, the North American and the Eurasian. Since the end of October, the Icelandic Meteorological Institute has recorded around 24 thousand earthquakes of various sizes, of which more than 800 in the last few days. According to preliminary data, the strongest shock occurred on Friday afternoon and was of magnitude 5.2. The earthquakes were also distinctly felt in the capital Reykjavik, just over 50 kilometers from Grindavík.
In this area, volcanic activity has only started again in recent years after almost 800 years of inactivity. Since 2021 there have been three eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula: the Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted in March 2021, August 2022 and July 2023. All three eruptions, however, occurred far from infrastructure or population centers.
According to the authorities’ forecasts, this time too there could be an eruption, but not sudden: the magma could rise up to reach the surface within a few days. At the moment it is not possible to predict precisely where the magma will emerge.
The evacuation of Grindavík was ordered as a precaution and people were given time to organize their their movements, also to avoid the risk of traffic jams. The municipality has set up reception centers and the inhabitants who leave the town to be hosted by relatives and acquaintances are obliged to communicate their location. «There is no immediate and imminent danger, the evacuation is mainly preventive and has as its main objective the safety of all residents of Grindavík», it is read in a communication from the Civil Protection.
– Read also: The video of the eruption of Fagradalsfjall volcano in 2022